Safety barrier and barrier fence



. April 1969 F. M. CLEVELAND ETAL 3,439,898

SAFETY BARRIER AND BARRI ER FENCE Filed Jan. 29, 1968 April 1969 F. M. CLEVELAND ETAL 3,439,898

SAFETY BARRIER AND BARRIER FENCE Filed Jan. 29, 1968 Sheet g or 2 INVENTOR. FLOYD M. CLEVELfiA/U E/'? 4 BY FETEF? EAL/m4 Whiz,

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United States Patent 3,439,898 SAFETY BARRIER AND BARRIER FENCE Floyd M. Cleveland, Plantation, and Peter Balma, Opa- Locka, Fla., assignors to General Safety, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Filed Jan. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 701,302 Int. Cl. E04h 17/02; B21f 27/00 US. Cl. 256-39 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety barrier and barrier fence for placement along the peripheral marginal area of the adjacent story levels of a building composed of spaced extendible stanchion members engaging the confronting surfaces of the concrete floor slabs of adjacent story levels and cable means supported by the stanchions and means for tightening the cable means.

This invention relates to a safety barricade and barrier fence for removable placement along the concrete slabs defining the upper story levels of a building while it is under construction to protect workmen from falls.

In the past, it has been the practice to build barricades around the margins of the various levels of a building under construction to protect the workmen; however, such barricades are made of the most inexpensive lumber available and quite often in the heat after a heavy rain or damp period, the individual members of the barricades swell and dry and are not strong enough so as to be safe without replacement of some of the members thereof. Additionally, the inspection time and the time required for installing such barricades has been found to be expensive and often the materials used are wasted and may not be reemployed.

The instant invention utilizes a plurality of spaced, reusable, extensible stanchion members which are expanded into snug vertical positions in which they are locked and spanned by a heavy pro-stressed cable of a high tensile strength in the order of about 14,000 pounds. This barricade prevents people from falling off, is highly mobile, utilizes not only its own inherent strength, but also the strength of the building while in position and is quick and fast to erect, yet simple to disassemble, as is described hereinafter. The materials of the instant invention are of sturdy metal and cannot be accidentally removed but, rather, require a conscious effort of cutting of the cable in order to be averted. Further, the present removable barrier fence may be employed without the necessity of spanning the distance on the outside of the building between the floor levels, but, rather, is wholly within and between the floor slabs of adjacent levels of the building, without the need of verandas on the exterior of the building outside of the periphery of the floor slab of any level of the building. The instant barrier fence may be employed on the various levels of the building as it is erected and does not result in scrap or extensive deviations in the cost between the floor levels for its use and is especially adapted for relatively accurate cost estimates since there are few variances to contend with.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved barrier fence and safety barricade for the levels of a building under construction which includes a plurality of extensible stanchions, each having means to support a cable, and cable means spanning the distance between the various stanchions and tightly secured thereto.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved safety barricade and barrier fence which is adapted for adjustable reuse on the various levels of a building under construction and the span of which may be adjusted "ice to meet the varying needs encountered by a person engaged in the construction of buildings.

It is another object of this invention to provide a safety barricade and barrier fence which is relatively mobile, may be utilized repeatedly without excessive scrap or waste of materials, which is strong and sturdy and which will act as a positive force resisting an accident which might be caused, such as an impact on it by a man or a wheelbarrow, so that it protectively borders the margin of the level of the building under construction.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away side elevation view illustrating the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view illustrating the instant invention and taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view illustrating the erection of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view in cross section of that portion of FIGURE 3 with the arrowed line 4--4 therearound.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters are utilized to designate the similar parts in the different views, FIGURE 1 is a general view illustrating the safety barricade and barrier fence in position between the floor slabs of adjacent stories of a building, the floor slabs being designated by the numerals 12 and 14 respectively. A-t spaced intervals along the margin of the floor slabs a plurality of spaced stanchions designated by the numerals 16, 18, 20 and 22 are aligned in a row. The stanchions are of the extendible type, as will 'be described hereinafter, and each includes an upper pressure pad 24 and a lower enlarged foot 26 or pad. The stanchions are interconnected by cable means 28 and 30 which are supported by brackets 32 and 34 on the intermediate pole members, and on the end pole members, are passed through pairs of diametrically-opposed through holes such as 36 in spanning relation of the stanchions. A plurality of such through holes and the holding brackets are provided on each stanchion at common heights for supporting several cable lengths at either of several levels, such as the level indicated by the bracket 32 and the diametrical holes 36 or the level indicated by the bracket 34. To the ends of the cable keeper means such as that indicated by the numeral 40 are arranged in close adjacent relation to the stanchion so that on manipulation of a tightening means, such as the chuck means 42 seen in FIGURE 4, the cable may be tightened.

Referring to the stanchions, such as stanchion 16, it is seen that it includes a pair of telescoping members, an

' outer member 45 and an inner member 47, and means to hold the inner and outer member in alignment comprising a guide means 49' for the innermost end of the inner member 47 and a lock means 51 to hold the members in a predetermined position of extension. Referring to the tightening means 42, it will be seen that it comprises a chuck body and cap 44, each having an axial through bore through which the end of the cable 28 is passed. The interior of the housing 44 is tapered to permit of tightening adjustments of a pair of captivated correspondinglytapered jaw portions 46 which are provided with teeth which are circumposed about the cable and held in position by the spring 46'. The jack means shown in FIGURE 3 and designated -by the numeral 52 is adapted to interengage the stanchion 16 and through the lever arm 54 extend and draw taut the cable 28 so that it will pass through the correspondingly tapered portions 44 and 46 of the chuck means which on release of the lever arm resist withdrawal of the cable.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the safety barricade and barrier fence may be position along the margin between the stories of a building. Once the stanchions have been extended and firmly secured in position, the pad and foot resist tipping or tilting of the stanchions which are securely held in an extended position between the slabs at spaced intervals, The cable is then drawn taut in spanning relation of the cables, being sup ported at the intermediate stanchions by the holding brackets and at the end stanchions by reason of passage of the cable through the diametrical holes 56 and the keeper and chuck means 40' and 42. It will be noted on reference to FIGURE 2 that the corner stanchions include a second pair of diametrically-opposed holes, such as 56, and brackets 58, preferably provided on all stanchions, for effecting a suitable corner support for the safety barricade or barrier fence. In the preferred construction, the cable is of the multi-strand type of a diameter in the order of about of an inch, while the pad and feet are sufficient to overlay an area of about 30 square inches of the concrete slab. The inner member of the stanchion 16 may be of a heavy adjustment bolt construction exteriorly threaded and of suflicient length for extension of the stanchion within the range commonly encountered as the height between adjacent story levels of a building, which is ordinarily between 8 and 9 feet. The inch diameter cable is preferably of the 7-strand type so as to effectively resist bending. It will be noted that an upper pair of diametrical holes 61 and holding brackets 63, as well as a right-angularly arranged pair of diametrically-opposed holes 65 and holding brackets 67, may be utilized at a height such that the cable will protectively span the upper level for assistance to plasterers or carpenters.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is.

1. For use as a safety barricade and barrier fence along the marginal edge of an upper level of a building under construction between the upper roof slab and the lower floor slab of a floor level, in combination, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of extensible stanchion members adapted to be positioned in spaced relation defining a line at the margin between the slabs and each of said stanchions including an inner member and an outer member with one end of the inner member at all times in said outer member; and a pressure pad means on each of the opposite ends of the stanchion member;

the respective members of each of said stanchions being of a common length and within the range between seven feet and nine and one-half feet;

means interconnecting the members of each stanchion and adapted for relative axial movement of extension of the members to lengthen the stanchion to an extended position with the pressure pads frictionally engaging and forcibly bearing against the upper and lower slabs respectively of the building construction slabs, said means interconnecting the members including a guide means in said outer member to receive the proximal end of the inner member;

lock means to lock the members of each stanchion when in a vertical position between slabs to prevent relative collapsing movement of the members of each stanchion;

4 cable means to extend between the plurality of said stanchions when in the vertical position whereby a barricade is defined to span the distance therebetween;

means on each stanchion member for supporting the cable means;

keeper means on the cable to inter-engage the stanchion members at the opposite ends of said line to secure the cable in a taut position to effect the barricade structure; and

tightening means to draw the cable taut between said stanchions.

2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lock means comprises a threaded nut threadably carried on the exterior of said inner member and of sufficient diameter to inter-engage said outer member to lock said inner and outer members in a predetermined position of extension.

3. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said pressure pads is of plate form and in the order of over 25 square inches as seen in plan.

4. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for supporting the cable means comprises Support means on the exterior of the outer member of each stanchion at a common distance from the ends of the outer member to support a cable means at .a common height on intermediate stanchion members and diametrical holes having a lowermost point on the circumference substantially tangential to the support plane of said support means.

5. The improvement as set forth in claim 3 wherein said support means on the outer surface of the outer member comprises hook form brackets having a portion extending outwardly of the surface of the outer member and a terminal, upwardly extending hook portion and said brackets being arranged in vertically aligned relation at varying heights on said outer member.

6. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cable means is a multistrand cable of a diameter in the order of about of an inch.

7. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said keeper means on the cable comprises a chuck body having a tapered interior through bore and including cap means, a pair of interiorly toothed jaws companionately tapered to said body and captivated therein, said pair of jaws when in abutting relation defining a through bore with toothed walls of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of said cable means and spring means in said chuck body normally urging said jaws into closed gripping relation of said cable and yieldable in response to movement of the cable to open the jaws by moving the same coaxially within the tapered jaws of said body so long as pressure is applied to the cable to draw the same taut.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 568,945 10/ 1896 Gross 256-39 838,266 12/1906 McKee 52-184 1,852,910 4/1932 Williams et al 256-48 2,128,030 8/1938 Koleno. 3,111,723 11/1963 Bates. 3,351,311 11/1967 Melfi 248-226 DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 25 6-48 

